Multi-processor communications systems particularly for use in monitoring a region or regions are known. One particular form of such a system is disclosed in Tice et al U.S. Pat. No. 5,525,962 entitled Communication System and Method assigned to the assignee hereof and incorporated by reference. Another such system is disclosed in Tice et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,916,432 entitled Smoke and Fire Detection System Communication, also assigned to the assignee hereof and incorporated by reference.
Known systems, while effective for their intended purpose, have exhibited some limitations. Typical systems usually have preset message lengths which are not field programmable. It would be desirable if the flexibility of such systems could be enhanced by providing field programmable, message lengths. Such flexibility would take into account newly developed formats, improvements or features which are intended to be field installable or field upgradeable.